Extension step



April 7, 1931.

J. B. STROUD EXTENSION STEP Filed Sept. '28, 1929 2 sheets sheet 1 r m m I WITNESSES I 424 V/WM W ATTORN EY J. B. STROUD EXTENSION STEP April 7, 1931.

Filed Sept. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Giraud r60 ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOHN B. STROUD, OF PASS CHRISTIAN, IvIISSISSIPPI EXTENSION STEP Application filed September 28 1929.. Serial No. 395,913.

My invention relates to improvements in extension steps, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

5 An object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary step which may be extended and retracted by the opening and closing of the step cover carried by standard railway passenger cars.

Another object of the invention is to ob viate the necessity of having to depend upon 'porters boxes when alighting from or boarding trains.

This invention a will be best understood from a consideration oft-he following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification. Nevertheless it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modifications which shall define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, my invention is H lustrated in connection with the steps of a standard railway car.

y In some respects, this invention is an im provement over my United States Patent,

No. 1,663,321, of March 20, 1928.

Referring tothe drawings:

F gure 1 is a top view, partly in plan and partly in section, showing the device in operative position.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the dev1ce.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the extension step in retracted and extended positions.

Figure 4 is a front elevation showing the device extended for use.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the extension step, its supporting arms and guide means hereinafter more fully described.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have shown therein an extension step 1 having a pair of upwardly extending arouate arms 2. Bevelled grooves 3 are cut in the arms 2, making tremities by a brace 4: hinged at its center to an arm 5 which is rigidly attached to the Bl center of a horizontal shaft 6.

The shaft 6 is rotatably mounted in projections 7 which are either integral with or attached rigidly to the permanent steps 8 of a railway passenger car.

Rigidly attached to one end of the shaft 6 at a convenient angle is an arm 9.

A connecting rod 10 is hingedly attached to the arm 9 and extends upwardly through an opening 11 in the permanent steps 8 and 06 is hinged at its other extremity to the usual step-cover 12 of the standard railway pas senger car.

The extension step 1 has projections 13 laterally extending from its forward edge. 7 Brace members 14 are pivotally mounted upon the projections 13. The brace members 14 contain longitudinal slots 15. The per manent steps 8 carry laterally extending pins 16 which extend through the slots 15. 5

A shaft 17 carrying at its extremities tapered bearings 18, is supported by a bracket 19 which is rigidly attached to the permanent steps 8. The bearings 18 are constructed to fit the above mentioned grooves 3 and bear the weight of the extension step 1.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that to bring the extension step from its retracted position, as shown in Figure 3, to its extended or operative position, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 1, it is merely necessary to lift the step cover 12. As this is a necessary act, it is quite obvious that no time is lost or additional energy expended in placing the extension step in its operative position, but, on the contrary, its operation is wholly automatic.

As the step cover is drawn upwardly, the connecting rod 10 draws the arm 9 upwardly, also. This causes the shaft 6 to rotate, thus bringing forward the arm 5. This movement of the arm 5 projects the extension step to its operative position.

,, The weight of the step and any weight placed thereon is now borne by the bearings 18 and the brace members 1%. The bearings 18 also prevent'lateral movement of the step 1. Since the bearings are adapted to roll in the grooves 3, a large amount of noise and friction is avoided.

To retract the step, the above-described operation is reversed.

It will be noted that the brace members 1d are carried upwardly by the step, when the step is retracted, and that by reason of the pins 16 and the slots 15 it takes a horizontal position out of the way of ordinary obstructions.

Having described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination with permanent steps,

an extension step, arcuate arms SUPPOI'UDO 'of a standard railway passenger car, lateral projections upon the extension step, brace members pivotally mounted upon sald pro- I jections and having longitudinalslots, and

pins extending laterally from the permanent steps and adapted to slide in said slots.

2. Incombination with the steps of a vehicle,-an extension step, a pair of arcuate Harms attached thereto and having grooves, supporting means for the arms, said means consisting of a shaft carried by the vehicle steps and having tapered roller bearings at its-extremities movable 1n the grooves, means 7 for extending and retractingthe extension step and means for preventing the step from moving laterally. I

3. In combination with the steps of a vehicle, an extension step, a pair of arcuate arms attached thereto, supporting means for the extension step, means for extending or retracting the extension step, said last named means consisting of a horizontal shaft mounted in the vehicle steps, an arm hinged at one end to the arcuate arms and rigidly attached at the other end to the horizontal shaft, a connecting arm also rigidly attached to said shaft and a connecting rod hinged-1y connected at one end to said connecting arm and also hingedly connected tot-he ordinary step cover of a railway passenger car, means for bracing the step and means for preventing the step from moving laterally.

l. In combination with the steps of a veh1cle,'an extension step, a pair of arcuate arms having grooves and supporting said step, means for extending or retracting the extension step, and means for preventing the step from moving laterally, said last named means consisting of a brace mounted on the permanent steps, a shaft carried by said brace, tapered roller bearings mounted at either end of said shaft and adapted to it into the above mentioned grooves.

5. In a device of the class described, an extension step, arms inclining rearwardly of said step and having: channels therein, rotary supportsengaged in the said channels, movable braces at the forward side of said step, and means engaged with said arms for actuating said step to and from extended position.

6. In a device of the'class described, an extension step, arms inclining, rearwardly of said step and having channels therein, an extended portion connecting the unattached ends of said arms, rotary supports engaged in the said channels, movable braces at the forward side of said step, and means engaged with the connected portion of said arms for actuating said step to and from extended position.

7. In a device of the class described, an extension step, arms inclining rearwardly of said step and having channels therein, a substantiallyU-shaped portion connecting the unattached endsyof said arms, rotary supports engaged in the said channels, movable braces at the forward side of said step, and means engaged with the connected portion of said arms for actuating said step to and from extended position.

8. In a device of the class described, an extension step, arms inclining rearwardly of said step and having channels therein, a substantially lJ-shapedv portion connecting the unattached ends of said arms, rotary supports engaged in the saidchannels, movable braces at the forward side of said step, and means engaged with the connected portion of said arms at its approximate center for actuating said step to and from extended position.

JOHN B. STROUD. 

